Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017

Floor Speech

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Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Chairman, as our military has been severely shortchanged over the past few years from budget cuts, it has been stretched thin--too thin--and we must make some very significant decisions to ensure our military readiness remains at a level capable of addressing the expanding threats of today.

We have seen stories of airplane parts being cannibalized from museum aircraft and units making do with old or degraded resources, and our military operations and troops are suffering as a result. We have also seen evidence of buildings in disrepair, falling apart, or unusable due to their poor conditions.

This is true of the Army's old and aging ammunition plants like pictured here. These plants produce the small caliber ammunition and armaments required by our troops for training and combat operations. These critical facilities operate 24/7, 365 days a year, and they have little or no counterpart in the private sector, meaning any shutdown or production stoppage would have significant impacts and consequences for our men and women in uniform. At 75 years old, all four of these plants are in various states of disrepair and in dire need of modernization and upkeep. Failing to make this investment could result in the loss of 90 percent of all small caliber ammunition used by troops in every branch of our Armed Forces. Almost 90 percent of all small caliber ammo used by troops in every branch of our Armed Forces are produced in plants, and we must continue to provide the necessary resources to modernize these aging facilities.

The plants' conditions are the result of devastating budget cuts which have forced valuable dollars into other programs and projects. They have been neglected too long, and we must act before it is too late.

We are charged with making sure our men and women in uniform have the resources they need to address the threats of today and prepare for those of tomorrow. This amendment makes this critical investment for our troops, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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Mrs. HARTZLER. I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey.

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Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I appreciate your support. It is critical that we modernize these plants, and I urge all my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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